Wammy's Island
by Cerenbus.Snape.Malfoy
Summary: Mello, L, Near and Matt get stuck together alone on a strange, desolate island. What will happen? Are their survival instincts and cunning enough to keep them all alive, or will one or more of them perish in the harsh environment? L Lawliet Mello Mihael Keehl Matt Mail Jeevas
1. Sand

**Age chart:**

**L – 22**

**Mello – 17**

**Matt – 16**

**Near – 14**

Mello moaned, rolling over in the strange, moist, grainy substance. He rolled over again, his arm flopping over top of something solid. His eyes opened blearily and he looked around for a moment in confusion. The grainy substance was sand. And the strange, solid lump beside him was Near's unmoving body. Mello's mind was too groggy to even process that Near was laying face-down. It didn't even occur to him to turn him over so he could breathe.

Near looked horrible, his white hair full of sand and seaweed, his white clothes in no fairer to middling condition, blood staining the entire left pantleg. He looked like he had just been washed up after spending weeks adrift. Funny thing… Mello had-had a dream about that... fire, sinking ship, stormy seas… He blinked and looked to his left, catching movement out of the corner of his eye. It was L.

What were they all doing lying on a beach? He shook his head, the sand irritating the scar on the left half of his face.

Moaning, Mello sluggishly pushed himself up off the ground, sitting on his knees for a moment, brushing the sand from the front of his sea-stained clothing.

Sea. Water. Ocean.

Mello looked around in confusion, turning his head to see an entire ocean behind them. They had indeed been washed up. Just a few feet away lay the shattered remains of a dinky old lifeboat. It appeared that Mello's dream had been real.

Panic set in. He scrambled to his feet, dashing sand across his sprawled companions, his heavy legs carrying him to the water's edge.

"No… no, where are we?" His voice was hoarse and scratchy, as though he had swallowed some of the salty sea water. Chances were he had.

When Mello turned back to the others, he saw that L had awoken, and was kneeling beside Near, concern clear on his sandy face as he rolled the boy over.

"He's not breathing-"

Mello, despite himself, was concerned. He rushed back over, stopping a few inches away and watching as L desperately pumped against Near's chest before locking his lips to the pale boys, pinching his nose and blowing in before repeating the process.

While he watched, Mello tried to remember what had happened. Near, Matt and Mello had been on a ship to the America's, where they were to join L in an investigation and meet him for the first time. However, there had seemed to be some form of miscommunication, and L had met them half way. Seas had gotten rough, there was a fire, many had fallen overboard and drowned while the ship was sinking, and the only reason Near, Matt and Mello had survived was because of quick thinking on L's part.

Mello looked around the other-wise empty beach. But where was Matt?

Mello's attention was drawn back to his other two companions as he saw Near's eyes flash open, and his hands flew to his throat, jaw moving as he tried to breathe on his own. L quickly continued rescue-breathing until Near gasped in, and L sat back, panting. Near sat bolt upright, coughing and beating his fist against his chest, looking more frazzled than Mello had ever seen him. Near's unkempt appearance rather matched Mello's and L's, and the confusion on his face was worth a million chocolate bars. Indeed, seeing panic, a previously unseen emotion in those wide silver eyes was a special treat that simply couldn't be satisfied by all the chocolate in the world…

Mello needed to stop thinking about chocolate. He didn't know when he would ever get some again. There clearly wasn't any on this island.

Island. Was he sure they were on an island?

"L… where are we?" He asked, watching as L climbed to his feet doggedly, brushing the sand from his clothing and wiping his mouth on the back of his sleeve.

L sighed, brushing back his soaking wet mop of hair from his eyes, revealing a long, deep cut across his forehead. It looked as though it was starting to scab, but had begun bleeding again when his hand brushed it.

"L, you're hurt!" Mello cried, moving forward slightly, then stopping dead as he had no idea what to do.

Near looked up at his mentor from where he sat in the dark, soggy sand, concern in his still wide and startled eyes. It was apparent how disoriented the boy was. He had yet to school all his emotions under that despicably calm, collected mask.

L felt of his forehead, looking at the blood left on his hand. "It appears that I am." He murmured in response, appearing for once as though he wasn't quite sure what to do. This unsettled Mello more than he cared to admit.

"Where is Matt?" Near murmured, his voice sounding just as hoarse and painful as Mello's felt.

L looked up and down the beach, then let his eyes roam the ground. "Unless his prints were washed away, I'm afraid Matt may be somewhere at the bottom of the ocean…." He murmured, big, black eyes roaming seaward.

"What?" Mello spun to face the ocean. He wasn't fond of Matt, but he'd be damned if he said he wasn't sorry to see the genius go… their constant bickering had become a sort of strange, friendly ritual. He provided far more entertainment and companionship than Near ever had, what with his damn toys and emotionless oxymoron's and metaphors. Matt, at least had been more exciting.

"Regrettably, Mello, there is nothing that can be done for Matt. If he is gone, then he is gone. We must focus on our own survival if we are to get out of this predicament in alive…" L was already wandering off somewhere. "Keep up, please."

Near scrambled to his feet, toppling back over into the sand. He let out a small grunt from the effort of trying to stand again, and eventually managed to stay upright, all his weight on his wobbly right leg.

Mello stared after L, who was already a fair distance ahead, then looked back at Near as he tried to take a shaky step forward and bit dust for his efforts. Grumbling, Mello hurried back to Near and helped him up, grabbed his arm, slung it over his shoulder and wrapped his arm around Near's middle to support him. He had to hunch over a fair bit to accommodate Near's shortness, but with Mello's help, Near was able to catch up with L far faster than he would ever had been able to on his own.

"Thanks." Near muttered, pulling away from Mello and sliding to the ground where L had stopped.

"L, what are we going to do?" Mello straightened out his back, moving around to look the detective in the face.

L, however, was not looking at Mello. He had his eyes on the horizon, which was glowing brilliant oranges and reds with the setting sun. "Night will come soon. We need to find shelter." He murmured, turning towards the center of the island. He stopped where the trees started, selected what looked like a very grown-in path, and began picking his way through it.

Mello false-started after him, stopping dead when he heard Near's frustrated hiss as he once again tried to stand. The boy's locked gazes, hostility sliced the silent air between them. "Come on." Mello murmured, crouching down in front of Near and turning away. "Get on."

Mello could almost _hear _the scowl on Near's face as the white boy grabbed his shoulders, and Mello hoisted him up, taking hold of Near's legs, mindful to be gentle with his bloody left one. Mello scrambled onto the path L had chosen, Near riding begrudgingly on his back.

After a while of wandering, L stopped and turned a full one-eighty, seemingly lost as his eyes cast a disdainful glare towards the darkening sky. So far, nothing he had seen was suitable for he and his young companions to spend the night.

Mello grunted, fixing his hold on Near as the albino did the same, wrapping his arms further around the blonde's neck, trying not to choke him. "Your hair smells like seaweed." He grumbled unhappily.

"So dose yours." Mello snapped back, tightening his hold on Near's leg and feeling the boy tense up, scrambling to not lose his hold, taking fistfuls of Mello's shirt.

"This way… let's try this way…" L murmured, taking a sharp turn and ducking under some low-hanging branches that Mello made sure to brush Near against. After a few more minutes of wandering, L chose a small space between three trees and begun bending branches and tying them together with the many vines that lay about.

Mello panted, letting Near slide off his back. It was fortunate for the little albino that he didn't weigh very much, otherwise, Mello hated him enough to have left him behind. It was enough of an inconvenience as it were, but the way things were going now, it wasn't a good idea to leave anyone behind. They had a better chance of survival if they all put their heads together. As much as Mello hated to admit it… with Matt gone, Near was too invaluable to lose as well.

"Mello, help me would you." L murmured, reaching for a high branch, the others slipping from his grasp.

Mello hurried to offer his assistance, grabbing the branch and helping L hold them all together long enough to tie the vines and keep them in place, forming a small roof over an equally small 'room'. It certainly wasn't a five-star hotel, but it would suffice for the time being.

"We have no idea what kind of wild animals lurk about at night, so I suggest you keep your senses about you." L sat down under the makeshift shelter, and Near had somehow already curled up in the corner of it, playing with sticks and twigs.

Mello squeezed in between them. "How's your leg?" He forced himself to ask.

Near glanced up at him, then back down at his new improvised toys. "It hurts." He replied truthfully, no more emotion in his voice than a judge passing a lackluster sentence.

L sat up, peering at Near from around Mello. "What hurts, Near?" He asked, moving around Mello to get to the albino.

"My leg." Near replied.

"May I?" L requested, not wanting to touch the boy without his permission.

Near hesitated, then nodded, stretching his left leg in front of him.

L rolled up the baggy pantleg to see dried blood crusting around a bad wound up Near's leg. The skin surrounding the red wound was several shades of purple from bruising and blue from lack of blood flow. The sight made Mello ill. Near was very strong indeed to school himself so well even when he was obviously in pain.

"On a scale of one to ten, ten being unbearable and one being numb, how badly does it hurt?" L looked up at Near again, calculating the subtle grimace on the boy's face.

Near hesitated again, then mumbled, "Eight."

"That's not good." L murmured, pushing the pantleg up more to make certain he had the entire damaged area in plain sight. He grimaced as the wound kept going up and up, and he suspected it went further up Near's thigh but he'd have to tear Near's pants to check and he didn't want to do that. "We need to make sure this doesn't get infected, but we've nothing to clean it with."

Mello smirked. "I could always piss on him to cleanse the wound."

Near turned his head sharply to glare at Mello.

"Don't be ridiculous, Mello." L murmured, removing his shirt and placing it on the ground under Near's leg to make sure no dirt could touch the wound. "Urine is sterile only when in the body, it is highly susceptible to germs and the wound is far more likely to become infected."

Mello sulked in the corner of the rough and ready shelter, drawing his knees to his chest and hiding his face behind his arms and a curtain of long blonde hair.

"It's too late now, in the morning I'll see if I can find some fresh water to clean the wound." L was saying as he started a small fire, careful nothing was close enough to catch sparks.

"Not just for Near's damn leg, we'll be needing water to drink, too!" Mello snapped, irate that Near had all of L's attention.

L and Near turned to Mello with identical exasperated expressions, the firelight dancing in their dark eyes. Mello began sulking again. His eyes darted around madly when he heard a rustling outside the shelter.

"Who's there?" he shouted, reaching for the gun that wasn't there. He must have lost it to the sea.

L and Near looked up as well.

Slowly, out of the shadows a figure stepped into the light cast by the small fire.

"Matt!"

**AN: YAY Matt's not dead! ^0^ I knew you'd hate me forever if I killed off Matt with absolutely no screen time… he may still die though! And that goes for all of them! They're living on this scary new island, void of civilization. How will they survive? What dangers await them, lurking in the murky forests? Is there any food?**

**YOU DECIDE! Let me know what you want to happen!**


	2. Water

**Chapter 2**

"Matt!" Mello cried, jumping up and hitting his head off a low-hanging branch.

"It's good to see you're alive, Matt." Near greeted, twirling a lock of fine ashen hair between his fingers.

"Indeed. Come join us." L invited, moving closer to Near to allow Matt room to squeeze beside him and Mello.

Mello wasn't sure how to react to Matt, who looked scruffy, dirty and beat up. He had bad sunburn on his nose, long scratches down the sides of his face, the skin on his knuckles was torn and bloody, his rusty brown hair was covered in dirt and twigs and his goggles had dark smudges all over the lenses.

He pushed his goggles down so they hung around his neck, his green eyes bright and friendly, hiding a grim look behind them.

"I got washed up a mile from where you guys were. When all I found was the broken lifeboat I figured you'd all drowned."

"That's lovely." Mello grumbled, plucking an annoying twig from Matt's hair.

"So naturally I did a mourning ritual and continued on through the forest." Matt smirked at his own dry humor. "The thing is, I'm very deeply hurt that you didn't come looking for me. I spent hours searching along the beaches for you before I even thought about looking for shelter." He looked up at the little hut as he spoke.

Mello, knowing Matt well enough to understand that he wasn't really hurt, chuckled darkly. "Actually, Matt, I was kind of hoping you'd stay dead. Who's the sea hag that resurrected you? I have a few things I'd like to say to them…."

Matt punched Mello in the arm.

There was a comfortable silence for a few moments before Matt turned his attention to Near, who sat silently, his bloody leg still lying out before him. "What happened to you?"

Near blinked, looking up to meet Matt's friendly green gaze, still twirling locks of his hair between his fingers. He was silent for so long Matt asked the question again. "Near? What happened to your leg?"

"I heard you. I was just thinking about the question. I'm not sure how this happened to be honest." He replied, eyes traveling back to the flames. "I might have gotten caught up on the ship's debris and injured myself, or it may have happened when we were still on the ship. I don't know."

Matt looked down at Near's leg again, cringing. "Well at least now you have an excuse to not walk anywhere."

This time, it was Near who punched Matt's arm, lightly and without much enthusiasm.

Mello bristled at this. Near had always been friendlier with Matt. Matt had always been able to get reactions out of the albino, while Mello had spent hours trying to get Near to laugh or cry, and only made him scowl and tell him to leave. Matt had been able to at least make him smile several times before at his jokes. He had even helped Near rebuild one of his domino structures Mello had destroyed trying to get a reaction out of him.

"Well boys, I suggest you get some rest, you will need your strength. I will keep watch." L murmured, breaking Mello's spell of deep thought. He looked away from Near, realizing he'd been staring for quite a while, and Near was staring back with hooded eyes and a particularly blank expression.

Matt scooted forward to give himself room and lay back, Near curled up beside him, trying to get comfortable for a few moments before Matt stretched out his arm and let Near use it as a pillow, putting his arm around the small boy. Grumbling, Mello joined them, his back up against Matt's side, his hands under his head. He would have simply slept as far away as he could, had it not been so damn cold.

Slowly, the three boys fell fast asleep with the pensive eyes of their mentor watching over them.

Early the next morning, Near woke to the sound of birds, crickets and other unnamable forest noises. He blinked blearily, pain radiating through his leg and climbing up his spine, however numbness had set in halfway down, starting at his knee. He didn't dare look down. He didn't want to know what his leg looked like. If it was infected, then he would deal with it later. At the moment, he was far too comfortable to care.

Mello was on Matt's right, sleeping with his head on Matt's shoulder, arm wrapped all the way over to rest on Near's shoulder. Near was curled up against Matt's left, his head resting on the rusty brunette's chest, Matt's arm still wrapped softly around Near's middle. Pressed against Near's back L was fast asleep, his arm protectively stretched over the three boys, his face resting gently against Near's head, his rhythmic breathing ruffling the soft white hair.

Near felt oddly safe and comfortable surrounded by the other geniuses, though close contact in the past had always made him uncomfortable and nervous. Though he couldn't say he was friends with any of them, they were all good people, even Mello, at heart. Letting out a small, content sigh, Near closed his eyes and drifted back to sleep, lulled by the rhythmic breathing of his companions, the subtle rise and fall of Matt's chest and the sound of his beating heart.

Mello was the first to wake, or at least the first to wake and actually stay awake. He moved away from Matt, scowling and brushing himself off. The ground was hard and cold, and the air was already stuffy and humid and he simply couldn't understand how the other three were sleeping so peacefully.

Mello's stomach growled and twisted painfully, reminding him of the last time he had eaten, the day before on the ship just prior to it sinking. He and L were lucky to have eaten before the sinking. Near and Matt hadn't yet eaten when the first explosion hit, and so they had gone even longer without food.

"Sorry, no chocolate for you for a while." Mello murmured thoughtfully to his stomach which grumbled again. Stepping out of the shelter, Mello noticed details about his surroundings that had been unrecognizable in the dark. The fire had gone out probably long ago, and some kind of animal had obviously passed through in the night, as there were large prints where the foliage had been pressed down by heavy paws. Mello stretched out his aching muscles as he surveyed the boring scene in front of him.

From where he stood, just outside the makeshift shelter, all he could see was trees. And bushes. And branches. And even more trees. Green everywhere. Not even a hint of another color. Just foliage so thick you couldn't even see the tree trunks or the ground. Vines lay in coils and stretched heaps, looking terrifyingly like long, angry snakes hiding among the ivy and tendrils of the thick plants growing on the ground. The cicadas chirp was long and constant, irritating his ears, the birds all sounded so foreign and wild, and the thickness of the air was suffocating him in his tight leather clothing. This place was untamed, uncut and uncivilized. The great outdoors.

Matt would probably be the first to start complaining. He _hated _going outside. And he'd lost his precious gameboy and psp. Silently, Mello wondered if any of them would be getting withdrawal symptoms. He had no chocolate, Near had to give up his toys, L didn't have any sweets, and Matt had lost his games and his cigarettes. This was going to be hard on all of them. Very hard.

As far as he knew, none of them had any extracurricular knowledge about surviving in a place like this, other than their natural God-given common sense and survival instincts. But then, what good did that do them if there was simply no food or water to be found?

Mello turned back to the shelter when he heard rustling and yawning as the others slowly woke. L immediately checked Near's leg to find it was worse than the night before.

"Near, we really must take care of this." He murmured. "Unless of course you want to lose your leg."

At this, Near sat up. "No, I'd rather much like to keep it." He replied tonelessly, and resumed twirling his hair.

"Who wants to go with me to find water?" Matt stood, brushing himself off. His nose was still sunburned and looked rather painful.

"I'm afraid that we can't split up, Matt."

Matt turned sharply to face L. "Why, there're four of us! One can stay with Near while the other two go for water-"

L shook his head. "It's not a good idea, and any case, Near needs his leg taken care of as soon as possible. We need to take him with us so if we do find water, it will be that much quicker."

"He'll only slow us down!" Mello protested.

"If I may contribute to this conversation, since it is about me?" Near suddenly interrupted.

Everyone had been so intent on arguing about him, they had forgotten he was even there.

"I think L is correct. The pain has steadily increased to a nine over the night, and I'm afraid if we wait any longer, I could very well lose my leg, as it has become numb halfway down. I assume that isn't a good thing by any means."

"Well I'm not carrying you." Mello felt the need to snap.

"Very well." Near dipped his head, his eyes roaming back and forth between the other two young men to see who would be willing to help him.

"I'll need to be in the head, watching for animals and the like." L murmured. "And I do believe you are stronger than I, Matt."

Matt sighed and nodded. "Fine, fine…"

"We should leave immediately." Near reminded.

"Shut up, Near! You're not in charge-"

"He's right." L interrupted and Mello snapped his mouth shut, cheeks burning red from embarrassment.

Matt moved over to Near, seemingly thought about what the most efficient way to carry him would be before lifting him up and throwing him over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

Near grunted, allowing an annoyed expression to show on his face. "Is this… really the only way you can carry me?" He sounded strained and his face was pink from the blood rushing to his head. He wrapped his arm around Matt's neck and braced his hand against his shoulder, trying to alleviate the sudden pain in his stomach.

"If I get too tired to carry you, Mello will have to take over." Matt reminded as they headed into the forest.

Near sighed, grabbing a lock of his hair with his free hand. "Very well…" he grumbled, glaring at Mello who was walking behind them, a delighted smirk on his face.

After a about ten minutes of walking, Near's position had changed at least fifteen times to try to relieve the intense pressure on his stomach inflicted by Matt's bony shoulder. "Surely I wouldn't be any more of a burden simply riding on your back-"

"It'd probably be bumpier that way." Mello, who was rather enjoying watching Near in such an uncomfortable position replied.

Near cringed and grunted in pain when Matt jumped a log and he bounced on Matt's shoulder. "No, this isn't working, ow. Matt!"

"Sorry!" Matt had jumped again and Near felt as though all the air had been knocked from his lungs, his ribs almost as sore as his leg.

"You two, please stop tormenting Near." L commented without looking back.

With a prolonged sigh, Matt let Near slide down and the boy held a hand to his chest, straightening out his back and wincing. "Don't ever do that to me again." He warned darkly, wheezing slightly.

Mello laughed, walking past them and being sure to trod on Near's fingers. Near quickly snatched his now throbbing hand away from the ground and held it to his chest, his already pained expression twitching.

Matt glared after Mello as he hoisted Near up onto his back. "Was that really necessary-" He tried, but Mello wasn't listening anymore, having lost interest in the both of them for the time being.

The small group only had to walk five more steps before L nearly fell into a rushing river he hadn't been able to hear over the loud insects and birds, just barely saved by Mello's quick reaction, snatching the back of the young man's shirt and dragging him back a few steps.

"Well that's not helpful, put your leg in that and you'd be swept away." Matt murmured, coming up beside them.

Near peered at the water from over Matt's shoulder, still nursing his sore fingers, but not dwelling on it. "Perhaps we should follow it, it may lead to a lake which will be calmer." He suggested and the others agreed.

They didn't have to walk far before they came to a precipice, the waterfall going down into a calm lake just as Near predicted. The problem was… it was a hundred foot drop.

"This presents a problem." Matt stated with a laugh. Him and his damn sense of humor…

"This, may I remind you is not a laughing matter. Near needs his leg-"

"Yeah, Near needs his precious leg fixed! We get it!" Mello snapped.

Near furrowed his brow, silently wondering why Mello hated him so much. "No need to become irritable, Mello. The current priority is to get everyone in survivable condition. As of now, if my leg becomes infected I could become very ill, and that would certainly put a strain on our survival."

"You mean _your_ survival." Mello muttered darkly, turning to follow L who had begun picking his way down a narrow path on the cliff face.

Near quickly schooled his expression, determined to not let Mello's obvious disregard for his well-being deter him from logical thinking.

Matt followed behind unsteadily, his heart pounding in his chest as pebbles scattered under his feet on the narrow ledge and he began to feel the pull of gravity, intensified due to the extra weight Near added. "This isn't safe."

"You seem to be stating the obvious quite a lot today, Matt. Anything else you want to tell us that we already know?" Near murmured, his voice condescending with a hint of amusement.

"So tell me, you're not at all daunted by how far down that is? We don't know how deep the water is, we could break our necks if we fell!"

"Of course I'm bothered by the fact, but there's no point in letting myself become worked up over something that most-likely won't happen. Just keep your eyes on where you're going and we should be fine." Near replied as though it was as simple as that. And it was.

It took the Wammy's boys a good fifteen minutes to safely pick their way down the cliff face and they all hurried to the water.

"WAIT!" Matt suddenly cried and everyone froze. "What if it's not safe to drink?"

That presented a problem.

"Thanks a lot for putting that idea into my head, Matt, damn you!" Mello muttered, taking a step back from the water.

"He's right, though. We don't know if the water is safe, but then if it's not, we will die anyway from thirst." L murmured.

"Make Near drink first, he's going to die first anyway." Mello grumbled.

Matt cast Mello a disdainful glare. "Mello if you don't stop ranting about Near as though you want him dead, I'm going to make you eat your vest-"

Mello bristled. "He's a _burden,_ Matt!"

"Mell-"

"Mello's right." Near interrupted, surprising both boys and cutting their argument short. He was silent for a moment as he slid down from Matt's back, then explained himself as he reached the ground. "I am currently a liability. If the water is indeed unsafe to drink or to use to clean my wound, I will most-likely be the first to die, therefore I should be the one to make sure it's safe."

No one protested as he crawled to the water's edge and slowly slid in so his legs were submerged. He winced as the cool water washed over his burning wound. Everyone held their breaths as he cupped a handful of water and drew it to his lips, drinking it.

"We should wait at least a half hour to be certain Near doesn't become ill from the water." L sat down a few feet away, his knees to his chest.

Mello and Matt sighed in unison, also sitting down. They were all silent as they watched Near absently playing with the water and occasionally drinking some of it.

It was odd. Sitting, waiting to see if one of them was going to become ill or even die from unclean water. Despite the fact that Mello hated Near, he watched his companion with bated breath, as he still held a certain value to life, or he simply was so desperate for water that he was silently willing the albino to remain unharmed.

Near absently raised another handful of water to his lips and suddenly, grew very stiff, his eyes going wild and his hands flying to his throat.

"NEAR!?"

**AN: MUHHAAHAHAH. Review? :)**


	3. Stone

**Chapter 3**

"NEAR!?" Matt cried, sitting up.

Mello jumped up and started towards the water, ready to help the boy, but was stopped by Near who was waving frantically for him to stay where he was.

Near beat on his chest a few times, gagging before a little fish slipped out of his mouth and back into the water.

L, Matt and Mello stood with identically freaked-out expressions, watching as Near composed himself, blushing furiously from embarrassment. After all, it wasn't every day someone choked on a fish.

"Oh my god…" Mello cried, falling back against the white sand, dizzy from relief.

Matt let out a puff of air and ran a shaky hand through his messy hair.

L turned around to hide his expression from the others.

"Near, if you survive, I'm going to strangle you."

"I would appreciate it if you would refrain from life threats, Mello. It wasn't any fault of my own that the fish decided to go down my throat." Near replied evenly, sounding hoarse.

"Yeah, well that's not the only thing you've ever had down your throat…" Mello muttered cheaply.

Near's hurt silence was all Mello needed to hear in order to know he'd finally gotten to the albino.

Instead of replying with an equally snide comeback, Near simply turned back to nursing his wound and keeping an eye out for any more fish.

"It's safe, you can come in now." He told them after what seemed like forever had passed.

Mello, who had been lying down with his arm draped over his eyes to shield them from the sun, instantly scrambled to his feet and dove for the water, Matt not far behind. It was so humid on the island that they had been sitting there in agony, their throats drying out and uncomfortably hot, especially Mello, damn his love for leather. The boys didn't even bother undressing, as their clothes were in as much a need of a bath as they were.

L was far more dignified as he stood and entered the lake, but he too was rather childish once he was in the water, splashing around and smiling as though he had just been told a dirty secret.

Near held up his arms to protect his head from getting wet as the other three splashed around like fish.

"Come on Near, get your head wet! You need to wash all that sand and seaweed out!" Matt laughed, splashing him.

Grumbling, Near made his way out a little further and went under, scrubbing his fingers through his hair before coming back up and shaking the water from his hair like a dog.

"Watch it, sheep!" Mello cried when a spray of water struck him in the eye.

Near blinked, sending Mello a strange glance before he moved back over to the side of the lake where he could sit and let his leg soak, his good leg drawn to his chest, his chin resting on his knee. He was still miserable over Mello's malicious suggestion that Near was gay. It wasn't the first time the horrible boy had insulted Near in such a way, but it didn't lessen the sting.

"This is nice." Matt sighed, laying back in the water, kicking himself around in a slow circle, feeling the warm sun on his face and the cool water on his back.

"Don't get too comfortable, we need to try and get off this piece of rock." Mello scolded, his euphoria having gone not long after cooling off.

"I just can't help but feel like we all needed this. A break, that is. We've never had anything like this before."Matt murmured.

"What about your video games, Matt? I thought you hated going outside!" Mello had climbed back out of the water and was standing just behind Near, his hands on his hips as water dripped from his soaking wet clothing. He knew his tight leather pants were going to chafe like a bitch after this.

"Come on man, chill!" Matt sighed. "Everyone needs a break from their life for a while."

"Mello's right, Matt." Near murmured, surprising the blonde, especially after he had basically called Near gay. But then, it _was _Near. He didn't let things like that bother him. Little did he know the impact he had on Near. Near actually did care what the older blonde thought of him. "We should not become too comfortable here. Every moment we're vacationing, Kira could-"

"Give it a rest, will you! Kira this, Kira that! He can't bother us here. Just relax for once in your life, Near you're only fourteen for the love of God, you're supposed to be happy-go-lucky, just fucking _relax!_" Matt snapped, green eyes flashing dangerously.

Near was taken aback by Matt's change in attitude. Just days before, you would get a fist to the face for trying to pry him away from his games and make him go outside. Now he was acting as though there was nowhere else in the world he'd rather be.

L was silent through the entire argument, treading water as he listened thoughtfully. "Matt, you are right we could all use a break, but Kira _needs _to be caught. We can't stay here in good conscience if there is a way we can escape."

"Well, what If there's no way off the island? What if we're stuck here, what then?" Matt seemed just a little too pleased about the possibility.

"That, _would _be a problem…" L murmured, habitually sticking his thumb between his teeth.

Matt shrugged, closing his eyes again and letting the sun warm his face, still idly floating on his back.

The four boys were quiet for a long time. Mello had long since sat down and had begun absent-mindedly braiding locks of Near's hair, much to the albino's annoyance.

"L, you're supposed to be smart, _do _something!" Mello suddenly erupted, yanking on Near's hair and making the boy cringe.

L sighed, climbing out of the water and plopping down on the white sand next to Near. "Mello, the only thing I can do is make certain you boys survive this so perhaps you can be rescued."

Near looked up from the pebbles he'd been stacking. "What do mean by that, L? You don't intend to survive and be rescued as well?" He tipped his head to the side, running his fingers through his hair and undoing Mello's poor braiding work.

L stared at the boy for a moment, then shrugged, looking back over the vast lake. Instead of replying to Near's direct question, he changed the direction of the conversation. "The next thing we need to do is search for food. So if everyone's done bathing, we should start looking before dark sets in again. We've been here for a while now."

Matt sighed, climbing out of the lake after one last dunk. Mello stood and shoved him back into the water, walking past, glaring at Matt with a look that could kill.

Matt stared after him, an unknown expression on his face as he pulled himself back out of the water before he followed the angry blonde, their boots squelching and full of water.

Since the others were in a bad mood, L was left to carry Near and stuck to the back of the pack, Mello and Matt in the lead angrily tearing down the branches in their way. Despite what L had said about Matt being stronger, he carried Near bridal-style with ease.

Because the old camp site was up the cliff which was too dangerous to travel every day, the Wammy's Boys decided to stay near the lake so they could bathe and have a good source of fresh drinking water.

"This is perfect, look!" Matt suddenly cried from the head, as Mello had fallen back some while he brooded.

The others moved forward to find Matt standing at the mouth of a shallow cave, peering in.

L stared at it curiously as he came nearer. It didn't look like any natural rock formation. It almost looked as though it had been carved out specifically to be used as a home.

Matt had gone inside and came back out excitedly. "Someone else used to live here! Look, there's beds and a table-" He had gone back in and the others followed behind.

Indeed, there were little beds made from fur and dried leaves on the floor, and a stone table carved out of the side of the rock. It was about as large as a very small one-room apartment, and the four of them could all comfortably live inside if they slept tight-together. The heat outside didn't follow them into the rock house, which seemed to be insulated due to the roof's thickness, however the walls were warm to the touch, as though the sun staring at them all day was enough to warm them, but not quite enough to heat the air inside.

"It is ideal." L agreed quietly. "However how can we be certain whoever made this won't come back?"

Matt was looking inside a small stone cabinet that probably served as some sort of refrigerator to keep food cold. "There's dirt all over the beds, and there's no footprints, and this fruit went bad a long time ago." He replied with a shrug, cringing as he pulled out highly decomposed, unrecognizable fruit. "It's probably been empty for years."

"Very strange…" L was murmuring, though the existence of the fruit and the shelter implied that there was eatable food to be found, and at one point in time, someone had been surviving here.

"What do you think, Mello?" Matt asked excitedly, watching the blonde's expression carefully.

Mello scowled at him, shaking his head and took his leave with a hiss of annoyance.

L, not wanting the boy to wander off on his own, quickly shoved a startled Near to an equally startled Matt, then proceeded to chase after Mello.

Matt was just barely able to save himself from dropping Near, shifting his hold on the boy, who looked disgruntled for having been passed around like a hot potato.

In the meanwhile, L was hurrying to catch up to Mello, who was storming off into the woods, not really going any particular way.

"Mello, we mustn't wander too far from the others." L reminded as he caught up to walk next to the furious teen.

Mello blinked, surprised out of his thoughts. He scowled at L, increasing his pace, but the detective only matched his stride.

"Go back and watch over your precious _Near_ and _Matt._" Mello spat.

L grabbed Mello's shoulder and forced him to come to a sudden halt. "Mello… you are all equally dear to me."

The words gave Mello pause. They were?

"Matt and Near don't need me right now. Right now, _you _need me. And the last thing _we all_ need is you walking off a cliff blindly in your fury. Stop being a child and come back and help us survive."

Mello stared at L in shock. _"I'm_ the child? Matt's the one drowning in this fantasy world of playing house and staying here on this damn island when we need to be getting back to the Kira case!"

L patted Mello's shoulder comfortingly, turning the boy around and walking him slowly back towards the new campsite. "I know. Matt does seem as though he'd much rather dwell on fantasy than fact at the moment. It may just be the shock of suddenly being thrust into a situation like this. His attitude about the situation is far better than if he were panicking, wouldn't you say?"

Much as Mello hated to admit it, L was right. If Matt were panicking, and approaching the situation without a level head, things would not be any easier for them, as they had a presently crippled Near to have to lug around; an emotionally unstable Matt would be simply too hard to keep up with. However, the way he currently looked at things, like they were in some kind of paradise having a vacation from the real world, couldn't exactly be labeled as 'sanity'.

"Alright fine. The way he's taking it _is _better than panicking, but he's still not thinking properly." Mello replied, crossing his arms stubbornly.

"Agreed." L dipped his head. "But we mustn't condemn him for at least trying to make well of the situation. At the moment, there is nothing we can do but stay alive, and we might as well try to enjoy the break we are indeed getting from our lives."

Mello pondered the wise detective's words as they grew nearer to the cave. L was right, of course. Over-reacting about Matt making the best of the situation wasn't going to boost their spirits any. And what harm would it be to enjoy himself when the only other option would be to stress over the circumstances to the point of a breakdown? No. The others were right. If they stayed alive, and stayed sane, they would more than likely be rescued at some point, and it was best that they weren't mentally shot by that time.

**AN: VIRTUAL MELLO CHOCOLATE FOR ****demon alice FOR GUESSING CORRECTLY THAT NEAR SWALLOWED A FISH! XD dude, when I read your review I spit out my coffee! LOL**


	4. Shadow

**Chapter 4**

Matt had gone stir-crazy waiting for Mello and L to come back, and in the meantime he had begun cleaning.

Near was sitting on the stone table, merely watched the older boy as he went in and out, shaking out the furs and sweeping the dirt out with his foot.

"This is just like a video game I once played." He was saying, his voice going loud and quiet each time he came in and went back out.

Near raised an eyebrow, twirling a lock of his hair. "Yes, but Matt this is life, not a game."

Matt smirked at his little companion. "Ah, but life is the ultimate game, wouldn't you say? You make a fatal mistake and its game over. Kind of exciting to think about."

Near thought over his words, waiting for the boy to come back in before he replied. "Yes, I suppose it is. But it's an unfair game; you only get one life, you always start with an empty inventory and the level of difficulty is as wavering as Mello's frame of mind."

Matt laughed. "He is a moody bitch, isn't he?" He murmured, sitting down next to the albino, finally sitting still now that the room was clean.

The corner's of Near's lips twitched. "Indeed."

They were quiet for a while.

"You know we still haven't gone looking for food yet." Matt murmured thoughtfully, breaking the silence.

Near nodded, staring thoughtfully at the doorway.

Matt smirked, poking Near's side. "Thanks to you, though, we know there're fish in the lake."

Near was unamused. "Matt, I do hope you realize how horrifyingly painful it is to have fish scales rake the inside of your throat?"

Matt winced. "How is your throat, anyway?" He asked, instantly feeling bad about his joke.

"I have been unable to swallow since then. I'm starting to realize it would have been smarter to simply swallow the fish." He replied, a hand absently rubbing his neck.

"Here, lemme see."

Near opened his mouth and Matt took the boy's jaw, shifting him into the light so he could better see. "Looks red, but I don't think it broke the skin. Now that we're on the topic of injury, how's your leg?"

Near sighed, rolling up his pantleg to inspect the red, purple and blue wound. "It doesn't look much better, but the pain has gone down some."

"Is it still numb halfway down?" Matt asked, gently taking the boy's leg and making sure it wasn't infected.

"Yes."

"What about your foot? Did it get hurt any?"

"No, my shoe relatively saved my foot from any damage." Near replied, pulling the pantleg down and stared fondly at his white converse shoes, which he only ever wore when he went out. He was suddenly very glad to have them.

Matt looked up from Near's shoes when the light coming through the doorway was blocked. Mello stood in the door, L just behind him. Matt stared at him, uncertain what to say to the blonde.

Mello didn't say a word as he came in and sat down on the other side of the table, chewing on his tongue to keep from lashing out at the others.

"Come, Matt. You and I will search for food. Mello is going to stay with Near." L murmured, still in the doorway.

Matt stood immediately, glad for the excuse to get away from the brooding blonde, but feeling rather sorry for Near, who would more than likely be subjected to Mello's grumbling and ranting.

Sighing, Matt ducked out of the hut and followed L into the forest.

Mello sighed, resting his arms on Near's lap and his chin on his wrists. The Wammy's boys had become so accustomed to each other over the years they had spent together at the orphanage that whenever they were bored, they would use each other as headrests, footstools, etc. Near didn't even blink at the contact.

"What did you two say about me?"

Near looked down at the blonde, startled from his thoughts. "This may come as a shock to you, Mello, but you are not the only thing Matt and I have in common. In fact, you are rarely ever the theme of our conversation."

Mello scowled up at him, carefully leaning most of his weight on Near's right leg so that he wouldn't disturb the wound on his left.

Near looked away from the blonde, his hand going back to his hair. "Do you think there's a way off the island?"

Mello blinked in surprise. It wasn't like Near to participate in casual conversation. He preferred fact sharing over speculation.

"I don't know." Mello replied softly.

Near, suddenly feeling very bold, looked back down at his companion. "If… we were stuck here. Hypothetically speaking, of course." He hurried to add when he caught Mello's expression. "Who do you think would die first? And… who would you prefer… died first?"

Mello let out a puff of air that was half-laugh half-choke. Since when did Near care about what he thought? Deciding to play along, since Near was suddenly so personal with him, Mello actually put a lot of contemplation into his words.

"Either you or I would die first." He admitted, scratching the back of his head. "You because you're not strong enough to be out here, and me because… I'm not smart enough."

Near furrowed his brow. "Interesting answer." He murmured. "But who would you prefer die first?" He pressed.

Mello pulled a face, looking up to catch Near's serious expression. What was this, some kind of test? It was just like the albino to interrogate the others to make sure they didn't want him dead. He'd have a problem then.

"I wouldn't mind being the first to die." Mello replied. "I mean faced with spending the rest of my life stuck on an island with you, I'd take death any day."

Near's face twitched and he looked away. Mello's little quips didn't bother him. What bothered him was Mello's apparent need to constantly belittle him. As far as he knew, he wasn't guilty of any heinous crimes against the blonde, so then why then was he constantly trying to tear him down?

By the time he decided it was insecurity that drove Mello to be a bully, he realized that the boy had fallen soundly asleep, and his head was still perched comfortably in Near's lap. Near hadn't minded the blonde resting his head, but sleeping there was just – no.

"Mello."

Mello didn't wake.

"Mello, please move." He poked his cheek and the blonde pulled a face, snuggling closer to Near.

Near sighed and poked him again.

Nothing.

Near busied his mind tracing all the lines of Mello's scar, very gently. He hadn't ever seen it this close before.

Just then, Matt and L came back, each carrying handfuls of delicious looking fruit.

Matt let out a half-laugh half-cough when he saw the awkward position Mello had fallen asleep in.

"You two have a good time while we were gone?" he smirked at Near, who was twirling his hair, one hand on the back of Mello's head, finger's idly running through Mello's fine, soft golden tresses.

"He fell asleep."

"While doing what, exactly?" Matt stood in front of them, tipping his head to the side, eyes roaming over how awkwardly close Mello's face was to Near's… he didn't want to complete that thought.

"Can you get him off? I've been trying to wake him for the past twenty minutes." Near murmured with a hint of annoyance, glaring down at the peacefully slumbering teen.

"I got this." Matt smirked, handing his armload of fruit to L. he crouched down in front of the two. "Mello…"

Mello's eyelids twitched. He had always found Matt's teasing voice irksome.

"Mello… I have chocolate…"

Mello's eyes snapped open at once, and his head flew from Near's lap, eyes wide. "Where?"

Matt rolled his eyes. "Mello, you have a problem, and it's not just your hair." He replied, standing up. "No chocolate for you, darling, heaven forbid we partake in such a luxury. Nope, fruit's on the menu tonight."

"Don't ever tease me about chocolate!" Mello snapped, standing and moving over to slap the back of Matt's head.

Matt roared with laughter, running to hide behind a confused L.

"Are they always like this?" L cried over the noise the boys were making trying to get at each other.

"Actually, they usually don't get along too well." Near replied, twirling his hair. "But they've always been better friends than I with them."

"Let's eat!" L cried, interrupting Mello who had Matt in a headlock.

Matt choked and coughed, rubbing his neck after Mello released him. "Prick." He muttered, grabbing a banana.

"Monkey." Mello returned, taking an apple.

L assumed his natural position on the edge of the table, perching next to Near who was still trying to decide between and apple and a pear.

The four boys talked and ate until the sun went down, and after laying claim to certain spots on the floor, they all settled down to their first night in their stone house.

This time, Near was between Matt and Mello, and L was next to Matt, still putting a protective arm around the three of them. Near, still preferring Matt, made sure he squished up as close as he could to the rusty brunette, trying to stay away from Mello, who only squirmed closer as the night progressed.

The hut was nice and cool during the day, and the heat that was still in the walls kept them warmer than their old shelter had, but it was still chilly.

Near had never been afraid of the dark. It was such a silly thing to fear. But this particular night, he simply couldn't fall asleep. The dark seemed to press in on him, and even as close as the others were, he didn't feel safe. His pale eyes snapped open at every sound, and the constant buzz of crickets irritated him to no end.

Long after the others had fallen asleep, Near lay awake, his face pressed against Matt's side, eyes squeezed shut, telling himself to calm down and be rational. His leg was stringing horribly, and his stomach clenched painfully.

Something was wrong. The last time he had been unable to sleep like this, had been back at Wammy's. His room-mate, Karma had been ill and so the room was empty. He had been uneasy, and the next thing he knew, he was sitting up in the dark, and a menacing figure had been standing over him.

The only reason he was alive to tell the tale was because it had only been Mello and Matt pranking him. He had felt foolish for screaming. Mello had teased him over his foolishness for months. And ever since, he had remained… wary, if not frightened, of the dark.

Near's eyes flashed open and he gasped in, all memories of that long-ago night vanishing as he heard a twig snap.

Sitting bolt upright, Near came face-to-face to a stranger who was leaning over him, menacing eyes flashing in the darkness…

**AN: So who is paying them a surprise visit in the middle of de night? :D Please, I don't update without reviews. I hate begging for reviews, but for the love of whatever you worship, if you like the story, please review!**


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